I find the Jarryd Hayne story fascinating, as I do whenever an Aussie reaches the pinnacle of any sport. From Daniel Ricciardo, Matthew Dellavedova to Jason Day and now Jarryd, I mind myself watching a sport that I may otherwise have little interest in.
Watching sports I don’t understand because I have someone to follow accelerates my understanding and desire to know more about the game. And I now find myself glued to 49ers matches.
I think it’s funny that the Americans have only recently worked out that Aussie kids from the south of the continent are brilliant with precision passing by foot due to their Australian rules football back ground. And they are only now starting to learn that we have freaks like Hayne running around on the central and northern east coast of our country thanks to rugby league.
As the Americans slowly catch on to our athletes, our entire continent begins tuning in to college football and the NFL.
While the Americans catch on to our athletes, the Australian Football League continues with their international rookie experiment. The experiment has seen its first born and raised American in Jason Holmes make an impressive impact in his first game.
Other than Holmes’s family, I doubt any Americans tuned in but that means little as this will change with time and more highlights. Considering Holmes’s lack of experience with the game he has an impressive leap and with time will be a vital cog in the Saints’ make up.
Despite Holmes’s recent success there is another American by the name of Alex struggling to even get on an AFL list. While I admire Alex for giving our a game a go and coming up through the VFL, I was amazed that no AFL club can list him as an international rookie. Why? Well due to these rules:
In addition to six rookie-listed players, each club can include up to three additional players (now referred to as Category B rookies) on its Rookie List provided the player either:
• has not registered in an Australian Football competition for three years immediately before inclusion on the Rookie List;
• is an international player, meaning he is not an Australian citizen and has not lived in Australia for a substantial period
So an athlete who comes from another country, through his own blood sweat and tears and own financial cost, who takes up the VFL competition or any other league in Australia, in the hope of making the AFL, is no longer able to be listed as an international rookie. Yep, how dumb is that?
Sunday August 30, 2015 sees history in the AFL as the first Canadian goes up in the ruck against the first American. Appropriately the team colours for Mike Pyke accurately reflect Canada and Jason Holmes almost gets there with red, white and black.
These two guys are great stories and have made our game even better. We need to encourage more talent, not add unnecessary road blocks like Alex currently faces. The AFL needs to change this rule and encourage guys like Alex to the game, even if it means taking the hard road through a lower competition.
To the AFL I say change this specific rule – “has not registered in an Australian Football competition for three years immediately before inclusion on the Rookie List” – as it’s not required.
John
Guest
Huh? The key word is "either". It does not say both is an international player, meaning he is not an Australian citizen and has not lived in Australia for a substantial period Surely that qualifies him? The other half of the rule is to allow the recruiting of Australians from other sports (basketball, rugby, whatever)
Kirk
Guest
Hayne is a megastar in NSW and QLD. Sure he maybe just another thuggish NRL nobody in the southern states but he's huge in Sydney. Not that hard to figure out why the media circus around him.
Perry Bridge
Guest
Generally the NFL player profile lists 'College' (effectively for 'recruited from'). So - Ben Graham, 'born Melbourne, Australia', College : Deakin University. Relevance?? zero. But it makes them happy. The AFL fans on here fully recognise that the AFL player to NFL punter is into an even more contained specialist role than for example the tall American into an AFL ruck position (far more elements required - as - is out in the general play of the game). We recognise that for the AFL players (Bennett, Graham, Rocca) that they didn't depart at their peak - but, after cresting the hill - they went and feathered their nest over the hill in America. Good on 'em. Hayne couldn't do that. Nor is he trying. He doesn't have the skill set. Hayne is slotting in okay to a role that suits his skill set. Yes - he is in general play. Does it show something great about the adaptability of the NRL athlete? Not sure - after the inability of Folau and K.Hunt to adapt to AFL - it's hard to rate NRL guys as great athletes. Very low endurance. But as we saw with Folau switching to ARU - when able to bring near to the right skillset then it's eminently more doable. For Hayne and even the AFL punters who have succeeded - the Australian sporting background only gets them so far. The success should it come is due to the work ethic of the individual (and a stroke of luck). The advantage Hayne has is ironic - considering the lack of endurance that Folau and Hunt brought to the table trying AFL - is that Hayne has potentially brought an endurance advantage to the NFL 'table'. So - the danger is certainly there for the NRL - in that if the NFL comes a knockin' that they'll be looking for guys at the peak of their powers (or near to), unless of course they get offered college scholarships and the younger gun players get lost to the NRL before they even break earth. The attentions of this suitor might quickly turn a tad sour. (think of the Irish Gaelic folk and their feelings about the AFL at times). As Bart says though - for Americans in the main - it's all just 'Rugby' or 'like Rugby'.
Vic Tory
Guest
Does that include freebies.
Perry Bridge
Guest
#Reality - Sydney Australian media - because - otherwise we'd've seen all this crap over Darren Bennett, Sav Rocca and Ben Graham. We didn't. Even when Bennett made the pro-bowl team of the decade or when Graham played in the SuperBowl - we didn't have this over the trop rot that the Sydney media is dishing out.
E-Meter
Guest
You can pick apart the mechanics of any sport though. I agree that NFL is boring for the most part, obviously because of the constant stoppages. When there is actually some play, it is interesting and enjoyable enough. But the stoppages are awfully frustrating.
Reality
Guest
The difference is more the national mentality, my observation is that Australians crave recognition, they're the kid jumping up and down shouting "look at me, look at me" whilst the big kids get on with it. Americans on the other hand don't give two 1ts what Australians think of them and the fact a US national is playing in the AFl may be a good news story at best. The other way round and Australian media goes into a frenzy.
accord
Guest
@Axey, whilst I agree with you about NFL being the most boring sport, it didn't stop the AFL from recruiting Hunt and Folau, who were reonwed (paraphrasing) for "catching the ball then run with it and keeping it tucked tightly and try and get some yardage "as proving as somebody who’s never played the game can go over there and beat the Victorians at their own game"!
Lisa Albergo
Guest
there were plenty of Americans who tuned in or watched Jason Holmes debut for St KIlda
mick
Guest
Mate AFL is the most popular sport in Australia and gets the publicity it deserves.. Deal with it.
duecer
Guest
Craigo - why would you leave the No. 1 show off the list and make it look as if the tigers warriors was the most watched footy show on Foxtel?
bart
Guest
Craigo the Swans rated 50k on seven mate in Sydney and 171k in Melbourne as well as 121k on fox. The Swans St kilda game was not on foxfooty the highest rating pay TV channel, but on the lesser fox sports and was on at the same time as the Crows/Eagles and Freo /Melbourne game. The Swans/St kilda game was also live across rural and remote NSW as well as the ACT on Southern cross TV
Craigo
Guest
Yesterdays Foxtel TV ratings. Look where the NRL Tigers rated compared to the Swans 2 LIVE: NRL TIGERS V WARRIORS FOX SPORTS 1 148,000 3 LIVE: AFL FREMANTLE V MELBOURNE FOX FOOTY 126,000 4 LIVE: AFL ST KILDA V SYDNEY FOX SPORTS 3 121,000 5 LIVE: AFL: BOUNCE FOX FOOTY 98,000 6 LIVE: AFL: BEFORE THE BOUNCE FOX FOOTY 94,000
Lazza
Guest
As long as the AFL give away their rights for free then they'll show it since they have so many hours to fill. When they start receiving some money for their rights then that will be proof that the sport is starting to attract an overseas audience.
bart
Guest
So i take it you don't think American football is over hyped Bruce ?.
bart
Guest
If the GC and Brisbane were middle of the road competitive teams there crowd averages would reflect that, just as the Broncos would if they were anchored at the bottom of the ladder for 5 years. Broncos get decent crowds, but they are a decent team, the Lions would do the same, however in the alleged worlds strongest RL area ( Western Sydney) the Wests Tigers a team with a combined 200+ years of tradition got 6k, who knows how many were free or whether the count was correct. How many millions have been spent on RL in WS over the years ?.
Bruce
Guest
Hey Axey, why don't you have a conversation with old barty boy......you and him should hit it off.......lol. It'd be a hoot watching you two exchange zingers and 'real facts' in furious agreement.....lol.
clipper
Guest
To be fair the Lions went from the three peat to being cellar dwellers, so it's surprising it's even that high. GCS have also struggled and have gone backwards this year. It would be like comparing the Titans early seasons to the last couple of years - not good reading. Once both teams start winning again you may have a point if they stay at those levels.
Craigo
Guest
Bart you forgot to add this: Brisbane Lions 2005 home crowd average 33266 Brisbane Lions 2015 home crowd average 19147 GCS 2011 home crowd average 19169 GCS 2015 home crowd average 12360 The falling crowds might not be so bad if they rated more then a test pattern on TV. Thats with millions and millions spent on AFL in QLD.
bart
Guest
Everyone who comes to American football is a rugby player, all the AFL players were called rugby players and now Hayne is also one, at least this time they got it right, RL is just RU's pint sized little brother.